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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



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-ammmmtimmmms, 



TESTIMONIALS. 



Collegiate Institute, Rochester, March I, 1845. 

I have examined Silas Cornell's improved Globe, and the small 
book accompanying it ; and it gives me great satisfaction to say, 
that I consider it all that he represents it; and that 1 think it better 
adapted to the use of schools and families than anything of the kind 
heretofore in use. 

C. DEWEY,^.D., M.D., 
Principal and Prof, of Chemistry & Philosophy 




SILAS COENELL^S 
IMPROVED TERRESTRIAL GLOBE. 

SECURED BY PATENT, 



A DESCRIPTION 



SILAS CORNELL'S 
IMPROVED TERRESTRIAL 

GLOBE, 

WJTM THE MANNER OF USIN6 4T. 



Intended for the use of Schools^ Acadernies. 
and Families. 




ROCHESTER: 

PRINTED FOR THS AUTHOR, BY 

ERA9TUS SHEPARD, 20 J, STATE-STREET. 



n A- 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1845, 

By SILAS CORNELL, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Northern 
District of New York. 



^ t:^/ 






^ PREFACE. 



In preparing this little work, the author finds 
himself in a field somewhat new. There are but 
few treatises on the use of the globes before the 
public ; and the globe here described is of a new 
construction, diflfering materially from all others 
heretofore in use, in the mode of its illustrations. 
In preparing it for the public, the author has endea- 
vored to simplify its details, and render its use more 
familiar and easy to the learner. 

Having spent many years in teaching, he has 
found great advantage in giving the first lessons in 
geography on a globe ; making the student, in the 
beginning of the study, familiar with the form of the 
earth, and at the same time showing how that sphe- 
rical form is represented on a flat surface, as in the 
map of the world. The first lessons in this book 
are adapted to that object, and should be used as the 
first lessons in geography. The succeeding lessons 
may be deferred till the learner has made some pro- 
gress in the science. 

Particular pains have been taken to render the les- 
sons plain and eaeily understood, with a view o^ 



Vf. 

adapting them to teachers who may not be fa- 
miliar with the use of the globe ; and, also, to facil- 
itate their use in families, where they may be stud- 
ied without a teacher. 

But few, even of experienced teachers, appear to 
fully appreciate the advantage of fixing in the mind 
of the pupil clear and distinct perceptions of every 
elementary principle of the science he is beginning 
to study. For want of this, many minds, naturally 
bright, intelligent, and discriminating, form loose 
and incoherent habits of reasoning, which accom- 
pany them through life ; while others, less gifted by 
nature, but with more judicious training, reason cor- 
rectly on causes and effects, and generally find truth 
the reward of their efforts. 

The author flatters himself that this simple means 
of introducing early into the mind of the student 
several elementary principles heretofore much neg 
iected, may not only promote a knowledge of the 
science with which it is directly connected, but that 
It may lay the foundation of that mode of study 
which will most effectually develop the treasures of 
the understanding. 

While mechanical skill, under the wonderful in- 
fluence of the light of science, has, during the last 
half-century, turned the powers of nature to the ac- 
complishment of the most prodigious labors^ per- 
forming by machinery what the manual labor of 
many generations could not have done ; labor-saving 



VII. 

machinery in the work of education has made much 
less progress. There is much room for genius yet 
to clear the path of science, and to present its truths 
to the opening intellect in the plainest and most at- 
tractive forms. It is confidently believed that this 
globe will be found an important instrument in this 
desirable system of labor-saving machinery. 

The advantage of this globe over those heretofore 
in use, will be apparent without much explanation ; 
yet it may be well to glance at ono or two par- 
ticulars : 

The horizon turning on an axis, and showing the 
line between day and night, for any day in the cal- 
endar to which the index may be turned, is an ex- 
ceedingly plain and natural illustration, to which no 
other globe is adapted. The natural simplicity of 
this arrangement is carried through all the illus- 
trations. 

This globe has a peculiar advantage over all others 
in always representing the plane of the ecliptic in 
its true relative position, in whatever position the 
globe may be placed ; while other globes have the 
ecliptic drawn on their surface, and consequently it 
is thrown out of its place whenever the globe is 
turned. This fixed representation of the plane of 
the ecliptic renders all the illustrations in relation to 
the change of the seasons, and the apparent motion 
of the sun, plain and natural. 



VIII. 

The Terrestrial Globe is beautifully adapted to 
show some of the great and leading principles of ge- 
ography and astronomy, and to exemplify those prin- 
ciples by the solution of various problems : yet It 
must be obvious to all who examine this matter, 
that such problems cannot be solved with any great 
accuracy by such an instrument. It is not intended 
for an accurate solution, but for the illustration of 
the principles on which those mathematical calcula- 
tions are predicated, which astonish us with the tri- 
umphant accuracy of their results. The globe will 
give us results approximating to the truth ; but per- 
fect accuracy cannot be attained but by mathemat- 
ical calculations. 

SILAS CORNELL. 

Rochester^ dd Months 1845, 



DESCRIPTION. 



The Terrestrial Globe is a sphere, or ball, in the 
form of the earth, on which is drawn a map of the 
land and water which form the surface of the earth. 
It is inhabited on all sides by men or animals. Per- 
sons and nations ignorant of science have supposed, 
that the world consists of an extended plain, only 
diversified in some places with hills and mountains ; 
and that if you could approach the edge of this 
plain, you would be in danger of falling off into im- 
measurable depths. When such people are inform- 
ed that the world is a sphere, they are perplexed 
with the notion, that whatever might be on the 
lower side would fall off. Such erroneous notions 
are corrected by simply knowing what is the true 
meaning of upwards and downward. Downward 
is always towards the centre of the earth ; and up- 
ward in an opposite direction. Whenever a heavy 
body is let fall, it descends towards the centre of the 
earth. The place that we occupy is as much the 
lower side as any other place ; yet we know that 
we are in no danger of falling towards the sky : 
and it is the same on every part of the earth^s sur- 
face. The force that draws all bodies towards the 



10 

centre of the earth is called " the attraction of gra- 
vitation." 

Q, What is the Terrestrial Globe ? 
What is a sphere ? 
How is it inhabited 1 
Of what form do ignorant nations suppose the 

earth is ? 
What ideas will perplex them when they are 

told the earth is a sphere 1 
How are such erroneous notions corrected ? 
Which way is downwards ? Which upwards ? 
Do we live on the upper or lower side of the 

earth ? 
Are we in any danger of failing towards the 

sky? 
What is that force called that draws all bodies 

towards the centre of the earth ? 

The Globe turns on an iron rod, the lower end of 
which is fastened in the stand. That part of the 
rod that passes through the Globe is called the axis^ 
and the ends of the axis are called the poles ; the 
upper being the north pole, and the lower the south 
pole. 

There is a line drawn round the Globe, at equal 
distances from the poles, called the equator. When 
the Globe is before you, the right hand is east, and 
the left west. 

The stand is a circular piece of wood, on which 



11 

the Globe is supported. On the upper surface of 
the stand is a circular calendar, showing the months 
and days in the year ; and in another circle, on the 
inner side of the calendar, the twelve signs of the 
zodiac are shown. Another circle, on the outer side 
of the calendar, contains an analemma, showing the 
dechnation of the sun. 

The horizon is a thin, circular plate of metal, 
standing in an upright position, so as to divide the 
Globe into two equal parts. One side of the hori- 
zon is made white, to indicate day, and is called the 
day side ; and the other side is black, to indicate 
night, which is called the night side. Whether the 
day side nor the night side is towards you, the right- 
hand will always be east, and the left-hand west. 

The iTtdex is a piece of brass, fixed to the lower 
part of the horizon, and pointing to the days in the 
calendar. 

The uses of these several parts will be described 
in their proper places. 

Q. What is the axis of the Globe ? 

What is the north pole ? The south pole ? 

What is the equator ? 

Which are east and west on the Globe ? 

What is the stand of the Globe ? 

Where is the calendar, and what does it show ? 

Where are the signs of the zodiac shown ? 

Where is the analemma ? 



12 



What is the horizon ? 

What is meant by the day side and the night 

side ? 
Which part of the horizon is east, and which 

west ? 
What is the index ? 



THE 

FIRST LESSON IN GEOGRAPHY, 

To he given on ike Globe and a Map of the World, 
taken together. 



The earth is a globe, or sphere ; therefore a map 
of the world is made in two circles — one circle to 
show one side of the earth, and the other to show 
the other side. 

The half of a sphere is called a hemisphere. That 
part of the world which is represented in one circle 
is called the eastern hemisphere ; and that part 
shown in the other circle is called the western hem- 
isphere. 

Place the horizon so that 90 is over the north 
pole ; then, having the day side of the horizon to- 
wards you, turn the globe till South America is on 
the day side, and Africa on the night side ; and you 
will have the globe divided into two hemispheres, in 
the same manner as the map of the world : and the 
western hemisphere wnll be towards you. Then, 
with the map of the western hemisphere before you, 
compare the globe and the map as follows : 



14 



Point out 
North America on the map, and then on the globe. 



Gulf of Mexico * 


• map, 


• . globe. 


Atlantic Ocean 


• map. 


• • globe. 


Pacific Ocean 


map, • • 


• • globe. 


Greenland 


♦ map, 


•• globe. 


Mexico, 


' • map, • • 


. . globe. 


Cape Horn 


. map, 


. . globe. 


West Indies, 

m ^1 1 1 J • 11 


• • map, 

CH .L^ A • _ - 


• • globe. 



Turn the globe till South America is on the night 
side of the horizon, and Africa on the day side, and 
you will have the eastern hemisphere before you. 
Then point out the following : 



Europe 



on the map, and then on the globe. 



Asia 


map. 


. . globe 


Africa 


map. 


• • globe 


New Holland 


map. 


• • globe 


England 


map. 


• • globe 


Cape of Good Hope • • 


map. 


• • globe 


Japan Islands 


map, 


• • globe 



Q. Why is a map of the world made in two 
circles ? 
What is a hemisphere ? 

The earth may be divided into northern and south- 
ern hemispheres, by considering the equator the di- 
viding line. 

If you look down upon the north pole, you will 
have a view of the northern hemisphere ; or if the 



15 

south pole be turned towards you, you will see the 
southern hemisphere, as shown on a map of the 
world on the polar projection. 

MERIDIANS. 

The circumference of the globe is divided into 
twenty-four equal parts ; and each of these parts is 
marked by a line crossing the equator, and extending 
to the poles. These lines are called meridians. One 
meridian passes through London, and is called the 
meridian of London : this is marked 0. The merid- 
ian next east of this is marked loo, the next SO®, 
the next 45^, and so on, each increasing 15 degrees 
till it reaches to ISO^ which is half the circumference 
^f the earth. The meridians westward from Lon- 
don increase in the same way to 180o. 

A degree is the three hundred and sixtieth part of 
the c'rcumference of a circle, whether the circle be 
large or small : so that a degree on a great circle 
that encompasses the earth, as the equator, is about 
69 miles ; while a degree on a circle 1 foot in diam- 
eter is about the tenth of an inch. Meridians are 
drawn on maps sometimes at every degree, sometimes 
at every five degrees, and sometimes at every ten de- 
grees ; but they are marked on the globe at every 
15 degrees, because the earth revolves on its axis 15 
degrees in an hour : so that the space from one me- 
ridian to another may be counted for an hour, in th« 

B 



16 

revolution of the earth on its axis ; and the twenty- 
four meridians will correspond to the twenty-four 
hours of the day. 

Q. What is a meridian line ? 

What is the meridian of London ? 

What is a degree 1 

What is a degree on the equator ? 

How are meridians drawn on maps ? 

How are meridians drawn on the globe ^ 

Why at every 15 degrees ? 

How many meridians are drawn on the globe 1 

PARALLELS OF LATITUDE. 

There are lines on the globe drawn east and west, 
parallel with the equator, which are called parallels « 
of Latitudes. The poles are 90 degrees from the 
equator, and that space is divided into nine equal 
parts, by eight parallels of latitude, ten degrees 
apart. 

LATITUDE 

Is the distance of a place, in degrees, north or south 
from the equator. To find the latitude of a place by 
the globe, set the horizon so that 90 is over the 
north pole ; then bring the given place to the west- 
ern edge of the horizon, and the degree over it will 
be its latitude. If north of the equator, it will be 
called north latitude ; and if south of the equator, 
south latitude. 



.. 52 


N. 


.. 36 


N. 


.. 56 


S. 


.• 34 


S. 


.. 40 


N, 



17 

Q. What is the latitude of the following places : 

New York ? A. About 41o N. 

London ? • 

Straits of Gibraltar ? 

Cape Horn ? • 

Cape of Good Hope ? 

Pekin, in China ? • • • 

LONGITUDE 

Is the distance of a place east or west from some 
particular meridian. On the globe, the longitude is 
reckoned from the meridian of London. To find the 
longitude of any place by the globe, set the horizon 
60 that 90 is over the north pole ; then bring the 
given place to the west edge of the horizon, and the 
degree on the equator, directly under the edge of 
the horizon, will be its longitude. If it be east of 
London, it will be called east longitude : and if west 
of London, west longitude. 

Q. What is the longitude of the following places : 

New York ? A. About 74o W. 

Cape of Good Hope ? 16 E. 

Straits of Gibraltar 1 6 W. 

Cape Horn ? 65 W. 

Pekin? 117 E. 

Q. What is a parallel of latitude ? 

How far apart are they on the globe ? 
How many degrees from the equator to the 
poles ? 



13 

What is latitude ? 
What is longitude 1 

©AY AND NIGHT, AND DIFFERENCE OF TIME IN 
DIFFERENT PLACES, 

As the earth is a sphere, the sun can shine only 
on one-half of it at the same time ; consequently, 
one-half of the world will have day-light, while the 
other half is in the shade, or night. To show this, 
the horizon divides the globe into two equal parts; 
that on the light side being day, and that on the 
black side being night. 

Set the horizon so that 90 is over the north pole ; 
then, having the day-side of the horizon towards 
you, turn the meridian of London also towards you, 
and the Roman numbers VI will be both at the east 
and at the west edge of the horizon. The globe 
will then represent the position of the earth when it 
is XII o'clock at noon in London, on the day pointed 
to by the index, which will be about the 23d of Sep- 
tember : at that time the days and nights are equal 
in length throughout the world, being 12 hours each. 
While the globe remains in this position, it will 
show what parts of the earth are enlightened by the 
sun, and what parts are in darkness, at that time ; 
and it will also show, while it is XII o'clock in Lon- 
don, what time of day it is in all other parts of the 
world. At all places under the eastern edge of the 
horizon it will be VI o'clock in the evening, and the 
mn will be setting ; at all places under the western 



19 

edge of the horizon it will be VI o'clock in the 
morning, and the sun will be rising ; and the hours 
of the day and night will be at that time, in all parts 
of the world, as they are marked in Roman numbers 
on the equator of the globe. 

The following questions may be answered by ex- 
amining the globe while it remains in this position : 
Q. What time at New York ?...••• ^, 7 morning. 

In south part of Greenland ? • • • 9 morning. 

Cape of Good Hope? A little past 1 afternoon. 

Constantinople ? . • • • • 2 afternoon. 

Pekin ? • • 8 evening. 

East part of New Zealand ?• • • • 12 midnight. 

Bhering's Straits ? 1 morning. 

As the earth turns on its axis from west to east, 
the sun rises earlier to the eastern than the western 
countries ; and consequently it will be noon and 
evening sooner in the eastern than in the western 
countries : so that on opposite sides of the earth 
there will be twelve hours difference in the time. 
This difference will be four minutes for each degree, 
or onehour for 15 degrees ; so that when it is twelve 
o'clock where we are, it will be eleven o'clock 15 
degrees west of us, and one o'clock 15 degrees east 
of us. 

Q. When it is twelve o'clock at New York, what 
time will it be at the following places : 
South part of Greenland ?.•...••. v^. 2 P.M. 
Islands of Sicily? 6 P.M 



20 

London ? 5 P.M. 

Mouth of Mississippi River ? 11 A.M. 

Society Islands ? 7 A.M. 

Bhering's Straits ? 6 A.M. 

Q. Does the sun rise earliest in the eastern or west- 
ern countries 1 

How much difference in the opposite sides of 
the earth ? 

How much difference in one de^ee ? 

How much difference in fifteen degrees ? 

THE ORBIT OF THE EARTH, AND ITS MOTION ROUND 

THE SUN. 

The earth has two motions. Besides its revolu- 
tion on its axis, as before described, it moves round 
the sun once in a year. The circle, or path, in 
which it moves round the sun, is called its orbit ; 
and this orbit lies in the plane of the ecliptic. To 
understand what is meant by the plane of the eclip- 
tic, you must first understand what is meant by a 
plane. A plane may be real or imaginary. The top 
of a smooth table is a real plain : take the table 
away, and the place that its upper surface occupied 
may be considered an imaginary plain ; or, if you 
imagine the plane of the surface of a table to be ex- 
tended off in every direction till it reaches the sides 
of the room, you will have a plane part real and part 
imaginary, extending over the room. If you hold a 
thread so as to make it a straight line, you may move 
that line sideways so as to describe an imaginary 



21 

plain. The horizon has a line marked on it for the 
plane of the ecliptic ; on the west side it is marked 
with the name, and on the east side it is illuminated, 
to show that the sun's place is always in that plane. 
Now, if we imagine this line to extend off from the 
globe to an indefinite distance, in the same direction 
we shall have an imaginary line. Then, if we turn 
the horizon round the globe, supposing this imagin- 
ary line to be carried round with it, the imaginary 
line will describe an imaginary plane, which will re- 
present the plane of the ecliptic. 

The centre of the sun and the centre of the earth 
are always in the plane of the ecliptic ; and one- 
half of the equator is always above this plain, while 
the other half is below. 

THE AXIS OF THE EARTH, AND ITS INCLINATIOT^^. 

The axis of the globe is an iron rod, as has been 
before described ; but the axis of the earth is an 
imaginary line, on which the earth turns as the 
globe does on its iron axis. The axis of the earth 
is not perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptic, but 
inclined or leaning, as shown in the globe. If the 
axis were perpendicular to the ecliptic, the equator 
would lie in the plane of the ecliptic, and there could 
be no change of seasons ; but in consequence of 
this inclination of the axis, we have the regular and 
beautiful changes of spring, summer, autumn, and 
winter, and the change in the length of the days and 
nights. 



23 

THE CHANGE OF THE SEASONS. 

Place a lamp, or some other object, in the centre 
of a table, to represent the sun ; a lamp will rather 
improve the illustration, on account of its emitting 
light, but some other substance will do about as 
well— only observing, that it should be sufficiently 
heavy to keep its place without being moved by a 
thread that must be attached to it. Call this object 
in the centre of the table the sun. Fasten a strong 
thread to it, and let the other end of the thread pass 
through the hole in the index, and fasten to the iron 
pillar that supports the globe having the length of 
the thread so adjusted as to admit the globe to de- 
scribe a circle as large as the table will admit. The 
thread will then keep the Index pointing to the 
sun's place, and the horizon will be kept facing the 
sun, showing constantly the part of the earth light- 
ed by the sun on the day pointed to in the calendar. 
Then move the globe on the table from west to 
east, by the south, so as to describe a circle with 
the length of the thread, keeping the stand from 
turning, and the axis inclining in the same direction. 
As the globe is moved in this manner, the index will 
pass over the days and months in the year, and keep 
the horizon gradually shifting its position, so as to 
show how the several parts of the earth are differ- 
ently exposed to the light and heat of the snn, in 
different seasons of the year. 

To go through this experiment more particularly, 
you may turn the stand till the index points to the 



23 

20th of March, when it will be seen that the poles 
of the globe will be in the horizon, showing that 
the sun will, at that time, be directly over the equa- 
tor, and that its light will extend to both the poles. 
Then, by moving the globe as above directed, you 
may observe that the light of the sun will gradually 
extend over the north pole, farther and farther, till 
the index reaches the 20th of June, when the sun 
will be at the tropic of Cancer, which is a circle pa- 
rallel to the equator, and 23 degrees 28 minutes 
from it. This circle is the boundary line of the 
sun's northern declination. It is called the tropic of 
Cancer, because the sun enters the sign Cancer 
when it is at this place. When the sun is at the 
tropic of Cancer, it shines 23 degrees 28 minutes 
beyond the north pole, to the arctic circle, which is 
the boundary of the north frigid zone. All that 
part of the earth within the arctic circle will then 
have a day of 24 hours. At the same time the 
light of the sun will fall 23 degrees 28 minutes 
short of reaching the south pole — leaving that part 
of the earth in a night of 24 hours, and thereby de- 
signating the boundaries of the south frigid zone, 
being the antarctic circle. This is the season of 
summer in the northern hemisphere, and winter in 
the southern. You may move the globe onward in 
its orbit, and you will find the sun's light gradually 
receding from the north and extending to the south, 
till the index points to the 23d of September, when 
the sun will be oh the equator, and its rays will ex- 
tend to both the poles. Continue the motion of the 



globe, and you may observe the light still receding 
from the north, and extending beyond the south 
pole till the index reaches the 21st of December, 
when the sun will reach the tropic of Capricorn — so 
called because the sun enters the sign Capricorn 
here. This is the boundary line of its southern de- 
clination, being 23 degrees 28 minutes south of the 
equator. The north frigid zone will then be left in 
darkness ; and the light extending 23 degrees 28 
minutes beyond the south pole, will produce a day of 
24 hours there, and mark the antarctic circle, the 
boundary of the south frigid zone. This is the 
summer of the southern hemisphere, and the winter 
of the northern. 

Move the globe on in its orbit, and observe the 
gradual increase of light towards the north, and con- 
sequent diminishing at the south, till you reach the 
20th of March, and you will have completed the 
whole circle of the year. 

XENGTH OF THE DAYS AND NIGHTS, 

The days and nights are always equal at the equa- 
tor — that is, they are each 12 hours long. When 
the sun is north of the equator, the days are the 
longest in the northern hemisphere : and when the 
sun is south of the equator, the days are longest in 
the southern hemisphere. 

To find the length of the day in any part of the^ 
world, at any time in the year — set the index to the 
given day in the calendar ; then count the number 



25 

of spaces between the meridians on the day side of 
the horizon, in the latitude of the given place, and 
that will be the number of hours in a day — adding 
to that number any part of a space over, (if there be 
any such, ) and calling it a proportionate part of an 
hour. 

Q. How long is the day at N. York, the 1st May ? 

^i. About 14 hours. 

Q. How long at London, at the same time ? 

.i. About 14| hours. 

Q. At the Cape of Good Hope, at the same time 1 

A. About 10 J hours. 

Q. How long at N. York, on the 20th of June ? 

A. About 15 hours. 

Q. At London, at the same time 1 

A. About 16| hours. 

Q. At the Cape of Good Hope, at the same time ? 

A, About 9J hours. 

Q. How long at Pekin, on the 1st of November ? 

A. About 10 J hours. 

Q. At New York, at the same time ? 

A. About 10 J hours. 

The length of the night may be deteimined by 
counting the meridians on the night side of the ho- 
rizon, or by subtracting the number of hours in the 
day from 24 hours, and the remainder will be the 
length of the night. To find the time of the sun's 
rising, take half the length of the night ; and for 
the time of the sun's setting, take half the length 
of the day. 



u 

Q. When the day is 14 hours, how long is the 
night, and at what time will the sun rise and set? 
.'^. Night, 10 hours ; sun-rise, 5 ; sun-set, 7. 
Q. When the sun rises at half after 6, what time 

does it set, and how long is the day ? 
•^. Sun sets at 6 J evening ; day, 13 hours long. 

DECLINATION OF THE SUN. 

The declination of the sun is its distance north or 
south from the equator. It crosses the equator the 
20th of March, and from that time to the 23d of Sep- 
tember it is north of the equator. It crosses again 
on the 23d of September, and from that time to the 
20th of March it is south of the equator. On the 
east edge of the horizon there is a scale marked 
" Declination of the sun." The upper part of the 
scale is marked S., for south declination ; and the 
lower part of the scale is marked N., for north de- 
clination. The degree on this scale directly oppo- 
site the equator is the sun's declination, for the day 
of the calendar immediately under that part of the 
horizon. There is also a scale called the analernma, 
on the outer edge of the calendar, which shows the 
sun's declination for all times in the year. Then, to 
find the sun's declination on any day in the year, 
turn the horizon till the scale of the sun's declina- 
tion stands directly over the given day ; then the 
degree in that scale directly over the equator will be 
the sun's declination for that day ; or, the degree in 
the analernma, directly opposite the day, will also be 
the sun's declination for that day. 



27 

^. What is the declination of the sun on the fol- 
lowing days : 

1st January ? 'A. 23*> south. 

20th February ? II south. 

20th March ? 

1st May? 15 north. 

20th June ? • 23o 28' N, 

1 St September? 8 north. 

1st November ? 15 south. 

20th December ? 23o 28' S. 

THE SIGNS or THE ZODIAC. 

In the circle within the calendar, on the stand of 
the globe, you find twelve divisions, marked with 
characters and names, as follows : ^ Aries ; ^ 
Taunis ; U Gemini ; ^ Cancer ; <f^ Leo ; -fTJ^ Vir- 
go ; =^ Libra ; 17]^ Scorpio ; t Sagittarius ; VC? Ca- 
pricornus ; /COO' Aquarius ; and >^ Pisces. These 
are the twelve signs of the zodiac, and denote 
certain portions of the heavens through which the 
sun passes at particular seasons of the year. 
These names were given to those parts of the hea- 
vens by the ancient astronomers ; and to make the 
description of them more easy, they imagined cer- 
tain groups of stars to be formed into animals and 
other objects, to which these names were given. If 
we extend the plane of the ecliptic to the heavens, 
and trace it among the stars, it will show us the ap- 
parent path of the sun among the other luminaries 
of the sky : and although the stars are invisible to 
Bs when so near the sun; yet the position of the sun, 



28 

as It would appear among them if they were visible, 

is well understood, Each of these signs occupies 30 
degrees in the heavens, and the sun passes through 
each of them, in succession, in those times of the 
year marked opposite to them in the calendar. 

Q. Where is the sun's place the 1st of September? 

A, 90 in Virgo ? 

Q. On the 21st of October ? 

A. The 1st of Scorpio. 

Q. 'WTien does the sun enter Sagittarius ? 

A. On the 22d of November ? 

Q. When will the sun be 1 degrees in Taurus ? 

A. On the 1st of May. 

Q. Where is the sun the 1st of August ? 

A. 9'J in Leo. 

To more fully illustrate the apparent motion of 
the sun amongst the constellations, place a table in 
the centre of a room, with a lamp and the globe on 
it, as prepared for the illustration of the seasons , 
then extend the imaginary plane of the ecliptic to 
the walls, and you will have an imaginary line pass- 
ing round the room. Imagine this line to be the 
plane of the ecliptic, extended to the heavens : you 
may then proceed to mark the signs in their imagin- 
ary places, as follows. Have 12 pieces of paper, 
each marked with one of the characters denoting the 
signs of the zodiac. Set the globe in its orbit so 
that the index points to the beginning of Aries ; then 
place the paper with the sign of Aries against the 



29 

wall, in a line with the sun, having the sun between 
the globe and the sign. (The sign may be attached 
to the wall by a pin or a wafer.) Then move the 
gl«be in its orbit till the index points to the begin- 
ning of Taurus, and place the character of Taurus 
on the wall in the same manner ; and thus you may 
proceed till you have divided the circumference of 
the room into the 12 signs. Then, as the globe is 
passed round in its orbit, the sun wall apparently 
pass through the spaces designated as the signs up- 
on the wall, in times corresponding with the cal- 
endar. 

TO SHOW THE TIME THE SUN SHINES WITHOUT SET- 
TING, IN ANY PLACE IN THE FRIGID ZONE. 

Set the horizon so that the eastern part of it 
crosses the north pole. Bring the given place to 
the east edge of the horizon ; then move both the 
globe and the index eastward, till the horizon wuU 
no longer cover the given place, and the index will 
show at what time the sun ceases to set. You may 
then continue the motion of the globe and the index 
eastward, till you find the horizon will again cover 
the given place, and the index will show the time 
when the sun will again set. 

Q. What time will the sun be without setting at 
the north cape of Europe ? 

A, From the 10th of May to the 1st of August. 



30 



TO FIND ON WHAT TWO DATS IN THE YEAR THE 
SUN WILL BE VERTICAL TO ANY PLACE IN THE 
TORRID ZONE. 

Bring the given place to the edge of the horizon ; 
then turn the glohe and the horizon together till the 
given place comes into the plane of the ecliptic. 
The day in the calendar directly under that part of 
the horizon is one of the days required. Turn the 
globe and horizon together again, and you will 
find the given place will pass out of the plane of the 
ecliptic, and come into it again before the globe 
makes a complete revolution : this will give the 
other day. 

Q. On what two days will the sun be vertical in 

the Island of Hayti, at 20o north latitude ? 
A. The 20th of May and the 23d of June. 



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